President Aoun says ‘no new negotiations with Israel at the moment’.
Published On 12 Sep 2026
The latest round of United States‑mediated negotiations between Israel and Lebanon has been postponed as Israeli forces continue to target and demolish structures across the southern part of the country.
During an unannounced visit to the war‑torn city of Nabatieh on Saturday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun affirmed that “there will be no new negotiations with Israel at the moment.” He added, “Withdrawal, the return of prisoners and displaced people, and reconstruction are national principles that we pledge to implement.”
Earlier, the French news agency AFP quoted an unnamed U.S. official saying that the talks slated for this month in Rome would now be delayed until October.
Instead, the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors are scheduled to meet at the U.S. Department of State next week to discuss the ongoing implementation of a June framework agreement, according to the official.
That agreement calls for the Lebanese army to disarm Hezbollah in designated “pilot zones.” Hezbollah has rejected direct negotiations with Israel.
In a joint statement on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz pledged that Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah from re‑establishing its presence.
Campaign of detonations
On the same day, Israeli forces detonated 1,100 tonnes of explosives at what they described as a Hezbollah command complex embedded within the Ali al‑Taher Ridge. The blast generated widespread tremors across southern Lebanon.
Nabatieh, situated at the foot of the ridge, has been a strategic flashpoint. Israel has declared operational control over the area following weeks of combat.
Israeli assaults in the region have claimed at least 29 lives in the past two weeks, including 12 members of a single family killed in an aerial strike on Kfar Ramman, a village adjacent to Nabatieh.
Heavy explosions on Saturday rattled the town of al‑Mansouri, audible as far as Tyre and its environs, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA). Israeli artillery also targeted the Douha district of Kfar Reman, the outskirts of Arnoun, and Wadi al‑Salouqi.
The day before, Israeli forces blew up most of al‑Mansouri’s public school, leaving a small portion intact, and conducted a two‑wave air raid on Nabatieh al‑Fawqa, NNA reported. Israeli drones were also observed flying low over Beirut and its southern suburbs.
Additional reports indicated that Israeli troops have started demolishing homes using drones to drop explosive barrels onto rooftops.
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